Members

A resource page for our members for easy access to Realm, and the important information you may be looking for.

MEMBERS & FRIENDS OF UUS

Resources for UUS Members

Here you will find information for members, group leaders, and access to Realm.

Quick Links

Realm Login
Submit New Event
Submit to Newsletter
Share Photos
Reserve Facilities
Register for RE Program
Sign Up to Volunteer
Pastoral Care Request

OUR BOARD​ & GOVERNANCE

Leadership​ At UUS

Our board of trustees are elected by the congregation to oversee the budget and activity of UUS.

Mission

We are a welcoming, spiritually diverse home. We act on our values:

  • Honor the Earth;
  • Advocate for racial and social justice;
  • Nurture deep connections;
  • Embrace the ongoing quest for meaning.

Adopted by the UUS Congregation on January 5, 2020

Vision

We aspire to be a more inclusive, loving, diverse congregation that welcomes all people. We will defend and celebrate the Earth, confront racial and social injustice, and nurture deep connections.

2024-2025

  • President: Jeff Walberg (president@uusic.org)
  • Vice President: Sarah Ross
  • Secretary: Lucy Gamon
  • Treasurer: Michael Honey-Arcement (treasurer@uusic.org)
  • Trustee: Ian Cawley
  • Trustee: Ernie Cox
  • Trustee: Monique DiCarlo

Bylaws and Policies

2024

2023

2022

2021

Congregational polity

“Congregational polity” is the Unitarian Universalist technical term for the way in which churches, fellowships and societies of this denomination are governed. In plain English, we govern ourselves. We select our own ministers, raise and spend our own money for salaries, building upkeep, supplies, and community outreach, as established in budgets we set for ourselves. We exist without any need for such hierarchical figures or structures as bishops, archbishops, presbyteries, dioceses, stakes or synods.

Unitarian Universalist Association

Which is not to say that we have no structure at all. The Unitarian Universalist Society (UUS) is a member of the national Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA), which serves our own and other congregations in a variety of ways, including providing consultants for fund-raising, for instance; and helping churches “match up” with ministers who meet and understand our interests and needs. Our congregation is a member of the UUA MidAmerica Region, an organization of twelve Midwestern states whose members and delegates meet annually to share program ideas.

Elections

In May, at the end of each church year, the congregation elects new leadership. The person chosen as vice president serves one year in that role before automatically becoming president the following year and then serving one additional term as past president. All other roles, including secretary, treasurer, finance trustee and two at-large trustees, serve terms of three years each.

The following UUS annual reports are available in PDF format. Records of older Annual Reports can be found at the UUS office.

Submissions to the newsletter must be submitted by the 20th of the preceding month. For example, to be included in the December newsletter you should submit your article or announcement by November 20th.

Submit to newsletter

Our weekly email is an opportunity to make quick announcements to the congregation. To be included in the weekly email, which is sent out every Wednesday, you must submit your announcement by 10:00 AM on Wednesday. Email your Weekly Email content to communications@uusic.org.

Newsletter Archive:

Weekly Email Archive:

Click here to access past weekly emails.

Annual Report Archive:

Realm

Realm is an online church management application that allows you to update your personal information, manage your gifts to UUS, and connect with groups.

Realm Login

User guides & support

We’ve provided quick start guides for members and group leaders, but feel free to explore Realm’s support center if you have any questions. You can also find the Powerpoint on Realm Groups (as presented at the 2016 Program Council) here.

If you would like more personal assistance using Realm, please contact our Administrative Assistant with specific questions or to schedule a one-on-one tutorial.

Our Administrator is also happy to answer questions if the assistant is unavailable.

Managing financial giving

Realm offers an accurate, secure, and efficient way for you to manage your financial gifts to UUS. Realm partners with Vanco (a secure online payment processing service) to provide secure online giving.

Privacy settings

You should be aware of the privacy settings available in Realm. All contact or personal information you add can be individually set to different levels of security: Public (to all UUSIC Realm users), Group Leaders and Staff only, or Staff only. The default security setting is Group Leaders and Staff only. Please review your security settings (especially if you have children) to ensure your information is set to your preferred levels of accessibility.

Security

Realm has been vetted by security firms and has been found to be more protected than many banking institutions, so rest assured your information (both giving and personal) is in safe hands.

Process for Creating a New Event

If you or a group is creating a new event, the first step is to submit a new event form to our Congregational Administrator. You can fill out this form by clicking the “Submit New Event” under the quick links above, or under the “Forms, Policies, and Requests” tab. From there, you will be led through the next steps for any approvals that may be needed and to get on the congregational events calendar.

Submitting to the Newsletter or Weekly Email

In an effort to streamline our processes, we ask that you please utilize our submission forms for inclusion in our newsletters and weekly emails. You can fill out these forms on the “Newsletter & Weekly Emails” tab on this page.

Reserving UUS for Events

UUS facilities are able to be reserved for memorial services, weddings, social gatherings, and other purposes to UUS members and the public. Please follow the link to the inquiry form above in the “Quick Links” section or in the “Forms, Policies, and Requests” tab to the left.

Board Information

Annual Reports, Meeting minutes and more can be found here.

Approved 2023 Budget

Shared Ministry Policies & Procedures

Submit New Event
Fundraising Request
Setup/Cleanup Request
Childcare Request
Publicity Request
Social Justice Action Fund Request
Reserve Facilities

Policies

Useful Forms

Please note these forms are digitized above with our submission buttons. Please utilize the submission buttons above as this helps us to streamline our processes for staff and users. These forms are here for your reference.

Reimbursement Requests

Reimbursement Request Form

In order to be reimbursed for personal expenses you have made on behalf of UUS, you need to do the following:

  1. Get written approval for the reimbursement from the committee or budget item chairperson
  2. Submit the following information along with proof of approval to the UUS office (admin@uusic.org).
    1. Person/company to be paid (and address)
    2. Amount to be paid
    3. Budget account the payment should be allocated from
    4. Purpose of the expenditure
    5. A scan, PDF, or physical copy of the receipt/invoice

Feel free to contact the office (admin@uusic.org or 337-3443) with any questions or concerns.

Do you need help promoting your event or group? The Publicity Team can help!

Publicity Team

The Publicity Team works to promote UUS’s events, activities, and milestones to the wider community. 

We invite neighbors and friends to visit for concerts, workshops, community meals, or Sunday services. We also share what makes UUS unique with local media outlets and national Unitarian Universalist organizations, such as the opening of our new, green building.

Led by the Communications Coordinator, our members manage the website and social media accounts, coordinate and design UUS advertising and branding, and communicate with local, regional, and national press.

Working with the committee

Based on our responsibility of promoting UUS to those who may not be familiar with us, we prioritize community-wide activities when allocating committee resources. Special events, such as film screenings or guest speakers, are great opportunities for partnering with other community organizations and sparking someone’s interest in our other activities. The Publicity Team is especially interested in supporting events that appeal to the broader Iowa City community. Regularly occurring events, or those whose primary audience are other UUS members, may be given other suggestions for publicity and promotion.

All Publicity Team support is dependent upon the availability of resources, including staff and volunteer time. If you would like help promoting an upcoming event, please contact the Communications Coordinator as early as possible, but at least 8 weeks in advance. Below is a list of ways the Publicity Team may be able to help your group or committee.

Publicity services

  • Event promotion (website, Facebook, community calendars)
  • Graphic design (posters, social media posts, brochures)
  • Advertising strategy, placement (online, local print, Iowa Public Radio)
  • Written content for articles and press releases

Requesting a Memorial Service or Reception

Please fill out the submission form below to get in touch with our Director of Congregational and Community Engagement. They will assist you in reserving the facilities, and preparations that may be needed.

Reserve Facilities

Memorial Garden Interment

Ashes interred in the UUS Memorial Garden may be those of any current or previous member or friend*, or an acknowledged spouse, partner, or minor child of a member or friend.

*A friend is defined as one who attends, contributes financially, and volunteers to further the work of the UUS mission and vision.

A family or individual wishing to place ashes in the Memorial Garden should contact the UUS office using the submission form below. Applications must be approved the Minister or Board President of UUS before interment can proceed.

Memorial Garden Form

Committee Leader Resources

Publicity and Administrative Support

Submit New Event
Publicity Request
Submit to Newsletter

We want your photos!

When you take photos of your group and events and share that with us, we are better able to promote our congregation. We need your photos for our social media and web presence. Please encourage your committee and teams to take pictures at your events! You can then easily upload to a shared Google Drive folder by clicking the button below.

Share Photos

Some things to keep in mind when sharing photos:

  • Be mindful of children in photos. Make sure their parents allow us to use their photos online. We keep record of photo permissions, but a quick check-in is helpful.
  • If photographing community aid events, please do not include the faces of people who may be receiving services or donations.
  • Group photos are wonderful, and we also love to see candids of our members interacting with each other and their projects.

Pastoral Care & Personal Assistance

Our UU principles call on us to affirm and promote the inherent worth and dignity of every person, and to practice compassion in human relations. One way we do this is through our Pastoral Care Team and UniCare. Team members collaborate with families and friends to support and supplement their caring presence. The goal of the Pastoral Care Team is to provide a ministry of caring, connection, and hope, so that no one who is part of our congregation feels isolated or alone.

Through the work of the Pastoral Care Team and UniCare, we:

  • Provide a caring presence through visits, calls, and other contacts that allow us to listen, accept, comfort, and support one another
  • Receive requests for care, from the person themselves, or from concerned others.
  • Link people with medical rehab equipment — walkers, canes, and other aids — that they may borrow
  • Coordinate responses to requests and concerns, including meals.
  • Connect people with community resources
  • Help people develop their spirituality

If you need pastoral care services, please contact our minister or Pastoral Care Team by email at minister@uusic.org or pastoralcare@uusic.org or by phone at 319-337-3443 ext. 102. If you phone after hours, please leave a message. In the event of a pastoral care emergency, such as a death or hospitalization, please contact Rev. Diana Smith directly on her cell phone, (319) 541-4330, at any time.

Contact us for support when you or a member or friend of UUS:

  • Is seriously ill or convalescing
  • Has recently lost a loved one, including a pet
  • Needs meals after surgery or a health event
  • Is confined, temporarily or for a longer time, at home, in the hospital, or in a care facility
  • Is experiencing a major life transition, such as retirement or a change in housing
  • Has relationship difficulties or problems with family members
  • Has mental health challenges, such as depression or addiction

To learn more about the Pastoral Care Team or UniCare, or to volunteer to help, please contact:

Service on Sundays at 10; Office Open Mon-Thurs 9-4 By Appointment

2355 Oakdale Rd, Coralville, IA 52241

(319) 337-3443​